Think of the 2002 Greater Los Angeles Auto Show as a chance to design your perfect car or truck. No, there won't be a booth where you can create your dream machine on a nifty computer- assisted-design program. But the show, opening Saturday, is a chance to let auto manufacturers know what you want, in a venue where they will be listening closely--and even paying consumer research firms to divine your automotive likes and dislikes.

Porsches don't share at the 2003 Greater Los Angeles Auto Show. They have their own room at the convention center. And they always draw a crowd. Near a shiny 2003 Boxster, a sign asks: "Remember what your first car meant to you?" In case you've forgotten, the answer is right there: "unbridled freedom." If a Porsche is your first car, either your daddy's rich, you hit the lottery or you are way older than 16. "I always wanted a Porsche.

AutoNation Inc., the largest new-car seller in the U.S., owns 18 Mercedes-Benz stores and 11 BMW franchises, but only two that sell Lincolns. Although AutoNation has poured millions of dollars into buying luxury car franchises and upgrading the look of showrooms, it has pretty much ignored Lincoln, demonstrating the uphill challenge that faces Ford Motor Co. as it looks to rev up its once-marquee brand. "They know they have to distinguish themselves," AutoNation spokesman Marc Cannon said.

Electric vehicles, many of which will hit dealership showrooms starting next month, took center stage at this week's Los Angeles Auto Show. But while wooed by the futuristic designs and promises of huge fuel savings, many tire-kickers at the show raised worries about how they would keep the cars powered up and running. So amid a flurry of announcements about ever more clean-fuel models coming to market, industry officials kept busy touting how there was a growing network of public and private charging stations available for electric vehicle operators.

Hyundai Motor Corp. says it will display a gas-electric hybrid version of its Sonata sedan at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. The auto maker says it will announce at the show the date that the hybrid will be sold in the U.S. John Krafcik, vice-president for product development at Hyundai, says the hybrid Sonata can be powered by both gas and electric motors and will have new lithium-ion batteries.

Autos writers Jerry Hirsch and David Undercoffler talk about what they are most interested in seeing at the Los Angeles Auto Show next week. The Los Angeles show is second only to the one in Detroit as the most significant auto show in the nation. For full coverage of the auto show go to http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/ RELATED: Audi confirms four new diesel models Jaguar previews ultra-rare XFR-S for L.A. Auto Show Porsche confirms world debut of new Cayman at L.A. Auto Show